If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

How do I catch a wild swarm

I'm new to beekeeping, and while I was doing some excavating, I found a bee hive in a old cherry tree. My question is: how close or far should I put my nuc to the existing hive, and is there a height prefrence that I should hang it. I just got some swarm lure and I'm wondering what my chances are of catching the bees if and when they swarm. Also, how often should I check to see if in fact I have cought the swarm.
Thanks for any and all info.

I know a lot of people use nucs for catching swarms, but many swarms are too large for a nuc so they don't get caught. If it was me, I'd use a deep box for the swarm trap. Most swams like to land 6 to 10 to 15 feet up in a tree, so if you have the ability to hang a box that high up, that's what I'd do. Check on it once every couple of weeks or a month is fine. If you get one, then remove the box and place it in your beeyard at dusk.

They say the trap should be 8-10 ft. high, 50 -300 ft. away.Lure and old comb are attractants, however it is still a gamble, they may or may not use it.I'd say the odds are less than 50-50, my luck at least.
PCM

I have caught 25 this year. All at a height reachable from the ground. I am getting about 2 out of three filled. Lemongrass oil and old comb in five frame nuc boxes or larger.

My swarm bait hive is a small top bar hive that has 6 top bars. I have a cedar tree that fell 2 or 3 years ago in a wind storm. I set it in that with the entrance hole facing south. I can reach it. I put in waxed top bars and smear lemongrass oil inside with a q-tip. I left the q-tip inside. I did this last year and caught a swarm and set it out about 3 or 4 weeks ago and a swarm moved in this past week. My bait hive is about 50 or 60 feet in front of my hives.
I have a neighbor that has about 10 Langs and noticed he set 2 of them on the ground about 40 or 50 feet in front of his hives, just this week. I am assuming that he does this to catch his swarms but I have never talked to him. He doesn't live there but has his hives there at his sons house.
Robee